Well drilling machines



Sept. 22, 1964 ow D 3,149,680

WELL DRILLING MACHINES Filed Feb. 13, 1962 T 1 4o 7/ as 20 68 4 -67 41-34 -75 I ,/42 I7 I IT--:=-

25 u 22 2 I9 36 i 26 84 as a! 82 INVENTOR. ARTHUR A. DOWNEND ATTORNEYSUnited States Patent O 3,149,680 WELL DRILLING MACHINES Arthur A.Downend, Orrville, Ohio, assignor to The Sanderson Cycione DrillCompany, Orrvilie, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Fiied Feb. 13, 1962, Ser.No. 173,071 3 Claims. (Cl. 17339) The present invention relates toimproved well drilling machines particularly adapted for mounting ontrucks or vehicles or otherwise portable bases. Specifically, theinvention relates to portable well drilling machines hav ing an improvedderrick structure specially adapted for selective or alternative use foreither percussion-type or rotary-type drilling.

A portable well drilling machine should be suited for use under avariety of formation or strata conditions. Certain stratas are mostefiiciently drilled by percussion techniques. Rocks and harder stratasor cavey formations are better handled using a Kelly bar driven by arotary table.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide portablewell drilling machines adapted for selective or alternativepercussion-type or rotary-type drilling.

Further, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved derrickstructure for a portable well drilling machine which can be quickly andefiiciently used with either percussion or rotary drills.

Still further, it is an object to provide an improved derrick structurewhich when in use for rotary-type drilling provides a positive pull-downto ensure maximum drilling efliciency in harder stratas.

These and other objects of the invention, as well as the advantagesthereof, will be apparent in view of the following detailed descriptionand the attached drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a well drilling machine according to theinvention, the apparatus being mounted on a truck bed and the derrickstructure raised to the operating position, the upper portion of thederrick structure having been broken away to reduce the height of thefigure; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan section, taken substantially as indicated online 22 of FIG. 1.

In general, a portable well drilling machine according to the inventionhas a base, bed or frame with a derrick structure, which may betelescoped or extended for greater height, mounted at one end of theframe. At or near the top of the derrick structure is a large crownsheave. The derrick structure may be slightly inclined away from theframe, if necessary, so that an imaginary line from the rear side of thecrown sheave would drop plumb to the well hole or bore. A cable forpercussion-drilling tools trained over the crown sheave and to a bullreel is raised and lowered for percussion-type drilling by suitablemeans preferably mounted on the frame.

, The improvements of this invention include an elongated memberhingedly or swing mounted on a substantially vertical axislongitudinally on the rear face of the derrick structure below the crownsheave. That is, the movement of the elongated member is a motion oftranslation; in contrast to or distinct from a motion of rotation. Theelongated or vertical member is located between the crown sheave and thebase of the frame and carries a longitudinally moving slide element.When the derrick structure is raised to the operating position theelongated member will be vertical or nearly so, depending upon therearward inclination of the derrick struc ture away from the frame, andthe slide element may be moved up or down. A Kelly bar swivel unit iscarried by and extends laterally of the slide element. A Kelly 3,149,689Patented Sept; 22,- 1964 with the imaginary line drawn from the crownsheave to the well hole. Additional power means, preferably including arelief valved fluid pressure actuated cylinder, are mounted on theelongated member andconnected to the slide element to provide pull-downforce for hard rock drilling and for tool changes or adding Kelly barextensions.

Referring to the drawing, the well drilling machine or apparatus isindicated generally by the numeral 10 and includes a frame formed byside members 11 and front and rear cross channels, 12 and 14. The frameis securely attached to a portable support such as provided by the bedof a truck or vehicle indicated at 15. The frame is further defined byvertical Samson channels 16 supporting top beams 17. The top beams 17preferably extend forward over the cab of vehicle 15 for carrying theapparatus 10 in the collapsed or portable over-the-road condition (notshown).

Mounted on the apparatus frame is a conventional hoist or bull-reel drum19. The hoist cable 21) (shown in chain lines) spooled on the drum 19 istrained forward around a tail sheave 21, under a spudding sheave 22 andto the top of the derrick where it passes over and is guided by thecrown sheave 23. The percussion or solid drilling tools (not shown) arefastened to the free end of the cable 219. The sheave 22 is carried atthe rear end of a walking beam 24-. The walking beam motion forreciprocation or vertical movement of percussion tools is transmitted tothe beam 24 through a stirrup 25 attached to a pitman arm 26 driven by abeam reel or gear 27. The bull reel 19, beam reel 27, and a pump 28supplying hydraulic or fluid pressure, are driven from either the motorof vehicle 15 through transmission 29 or by an auxiliary engine in aconventional manner (not shown).

The derrick structure, indicated at 30, folds or collapses forover-the-road transportation. The sides of the derrick 39 have hingeshafts 31 journaled in the upper ends of vertical frame members 32. Eachmember 32 extends upwardly from the frame channel 14 and is stabilizedby attachment to the rear end of a frame beam 17. Above the hinge pointprovided by the side shafts 31, the derrick carries a front lift plate33 with a clevis 34 for connection to the end of a piston rod 35 in alarge double-acting cylinder 36. The base of cylinder 36 is mounted asat 37 between the frame side members 11. When the piston rod 35 isextended by fluid pressure supplied from the pump 28 to the cylinder 36the derrick 311 will be lifted and raised to the operating position.

When formation or strata conditions require change from percussion-typeto rotary-type drilling, the percussion tools fastened to cable 20 needonly be raised to the top of the derrick near the crown sheave 23. Therotary drill assembly, indicated at 40 and including the Kelly bar 41,is then swung into position and aligned with the Well hole.

The primary axial component of the rotary drill assembly 40 is a longT-shape channel 42 hingedly mounted on the rear of the derrick 30. Atopposite ends of chan nel 42 are upper and lower hinge blocks 43 and 44.The hinge blocks 43 and 44 are connected by hinge shafts 45 to hingeclevises 46 and 47 mounted on the derrick. The upper hinge clevis 46 islocated on the derrick 30 at a suitable location below the crown sheave23. The lower hinge clevis 47 is located on a cross channel 48 at thelower end of the derrick structure.

As shown, there is a third hinge block 49 intermediate the hinge blocks43 and 44. Hinge block 49 is con- Q) heated by a hinge shaft 45 to ahinge clevis 59 located on the derrick 30 opposite the lift plate 33.The use of an intermediate hinge block 49 is preferred for larger andheavy duty drilling machines, but could be dispensed with if desired inthe construction of light duty apparatus 10.

At one side of the lower clevis 47 is a bracket 52 for connection to theend of a piston rod 53 in a small double-acting cylinder 54. The base ofcylinder 54 is mounted as at 55 on the derrick channel 48. When thepiston rod 53 is extended, by fluid pressure supplied from the pump 28to the cylinder 54, the rotary drill assembly 40 will be swungtranslation'ally of the derrick structure 30 into the operating positionabove the well hole.

The upper end of the Kelly bar 41 is carried by a conventional swivelunit 60, having suitable conduit connections 61 for introduction ofdrilling fluids as required coaxially of a hollow Kelly bar andextensions into the Well hole. The swivel unit is attached to andextends laterally from the derrick structure by a slide member orelement 62 having flanges slidably engaging the web of the T-channel 42.

The swivel unit 60 and depending Kelly bar '41 are pulled down duringthe drilling operation, by power means including a large double-actingcylinder 65 The base end of cylinder 65 is supported as at 66 by thelower hinge block 44. The piston rod end of cylinder 65 is supported asat 67 by the intermediate hinge block 49, if used, or by a suitablebracket (not shown) on the rib of the T-channel 42 if block49 is notused.

The'pistonrod 68 of cylinder 65 is fitted with a doublesheave unit 70A,7B stabilized to prevent turning by a yoke flange 71 slidably engagingthe rib of channel 42. At either end of channel 42 are mounted upper andlower turn sheaves 72 and 73.

A Kelly bar cable 75 (shown in chain lines) is connected as at 76 and 77tothe upper and lower sides of the Kelly bar slide 62. From the uppercable connection 76, the cable 75 is trained upward over the turn sheave72 down and under one of the double sheaves (70A) and then up for secureattachment as at 78 tothe derrick structure or, as shown, to the upperhinge block 43. From the lower cable connection 77, the cable 75 istrained down along theweb of T-channel 42 under the turn sheave 73 upand over the other of the double sheaves (70B) and then down for secureattachment as at 79 to the derrick structure or, as shown, to the middlehinge block 49, p

The Kelly bar 41 is driven by a conventional rotary table indicated at80. The table 80 is slidably carried by side channels 81 mounted beneaththe frame channels 14. At the inner side of the table 80 is a bracket 82for connection to the end of a piston rod 83 in a medium sidedouble-acting cylinder 84. The base of the cylinder $4 is mounted as at85 between the frame channels 81, When the piston rod 83 is extended byfluid pressure supplied from the pump 28 to the cylinder 84 the rotarytable 80 will be moved laterally of the frame channels 14 into theoperating position. The table 80 is driven, to rotate the Kelly bar 41,from either the'motor of ve hicle 15 through a linkage 86 connected tothe transmission 29 or by an auxiliary engine in a'conventional manner(no-t shown).

The'cylinders 3 6, 54 and 84 are selectively controlled by suitablevalve means (not shown) to perform the respective functions describedabove. The cylinder 65 has a dual function. As shown, when the pistonrod 6% is retracted the Kelly bar swivel unit 60 will be raised to theupper end of channel 42 and the bar 41 can be inserted through the driveunit 80, or bar extensions can be attached or added as required. Whenfluid pressure is supplied to'the cylinder 65 to extend the piston rod68, the downward force transmitted through the cable 75 will pull downthe Kelly bar 41 with an extremely effective 4. force. Rotary drillswithout pull-down are not effective in even medium hard rock formation.The cylinder 65 may be valved in a suitable manner (not shown) toprovide pull-down in the magnitude of 30,000 psi. at the drill bit withthe control valve being set to relieve pressure in any desired manner.

What is claimed is: I

1. In a portable well drilling machine having a frame, a derrickstructure on said frame, acrown sheave at the top of said derrickstructure which is oriented above the well hole, a percussion-drillcable trained over said crown sheave, power means on said frame forreciproeating said cable, a rotary drill table mounted on said framebelow said derrick structure, and means for selectively moving saidtable laterally of said frame, a channel movably'mounted on asubstantially vertical axis on said derrick structure between saidcrown'sheave and the base of said frame, a longitudinallymovable'slide'element having flanges slidably engaging said channel, aKelly bar swivel unit attached to and extending laterally of said slideelement, and means for translationally moving said channel on saidvertical axis so'that said swivel unit is verticallyaligned with saidrotary table.

2. A portable well drilling machine adapted for selectivepercussion-type and rotary-type drilling and having a frame, aderrick's'tructure which folds for over-theroad transportation mountedon said frame, a crown sheave at the topof said derrick structure, apercussiondrill cable trained over and guided by said crown sheave, andmeans on said frame for reciprocating said cable, said machine furtherhaving an elongated member hingedly mounted on said derrick structure ona substantially vertical axis, a slide element carried by and movablelongitudinally of said elongated member, a Kell y bar swivel unitattached to and extending laterally of said slide element, means toselectively move said elongated member translationally on said verticalaxis, and additional means to selectively move said slide elementlongitudinally of said elongated member.

3. A portable well drilling machine adapted for selectivepercussion-type and rotary-type drilling and hav ing a frame, a derrickstr'ucture'which folds for over-theroad transportation mounted on saidframe, a crown sheave at the top of said derrick structure, apercussiondrill cable trained over and guided by said crown sheave, and'means on said frame for reciprocating said cable, said machine furtherhaving an elongated member-hingedlymounted on said derrick structure ona substantially vertical axis, a slide element carried by and movablelongitudinally of said elongated member, a Kelly 'bar swivel unitattached to and extending laterally of said slide element, a Kelly barrotary'table slidably carried'on said frame beneath said derrickstructure and said elongated member, means to move said elongated membertranslationally on said vertical axis'so'that said Kelly bar swivel unitis vertically aligned with said Kelly bar rotary table, and additionalmeans'to selectively move said slide element longitudinally of saidelongated member.

References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS Carlsonetal. Oct. 9, 1962

2. A PORTABLE WELL DRILLING MACHINE ADAPTED FOR SELECTIVEPERCUSSION-TYPE AND ROTARY-TYPE DRILLING AND HAVING A FRAME, A DERRICKSTRUCTURE WHICH FOLDS FOR OVER-THEROAD TRANSPORTATION MOUNTED ON SAIDFRAME, A CROWN SHEAVE AT THE TOP OF SAID DERRICK STRUCTURE, APERCUSSIONDRILL CABLE TRAINED OVER AND GUIDED BY SAID CROWN SHEAVE, ANDMEANS ON SAID FRAME FOR RECIPROCATING SAID CABLE, SAID MACHINE FURTHERHAVING AN ELONGATED MEMBER HINGEDLY MOUNTED ON SAID DERRICK STRUCTURE ONA SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL AXIS, A SLIDE ELEMENT CARRIED BY AND MOVABLELONGITUDINALLY OF SAID ELONGATED MEMBER, A KELLY BAR SWIVEL UNITATTACHED TO AND EXTENDING LATERALLY OF SAID SLIDE ELEMENT, MEANS TOSELECTIVELY MOVE SAID ELONGATED MEMBER TRANSLATIONALLY ON SAID VERTICALAXIS, AND ADDITIONAL MEANS TO SELECTIVELY MOVE SAID SLIDE ELEMENTLONGITUDINALLY OF SAID ELONGATED MEMBER.